Method and apparatus for dynamically activating/deactivating an operating system

Abstract

A dynamic software activation system allows activation and deactivation of an operating system based upon a desired business process. The dynamic software activation system allows a user to request usage of the operating system for a specific period of time, for a specific amount of usage, or in any other desired manner from an operating system provisioning service or from a third party. The provisioning service processes the request from the user or from the third party to provision the use of the operating system and in response to the request provisions use of the operating system for a specific device specified by the request. The dynamic software activation system also includes a local provisioning module located on the device using the operating system, wherein the local provisioning module activates and deactivates the operating system based on instructions received from the provisioning service.

1 . A local provisioning system for provisioning a service on a computing device; the local provisioning system comprising: 
 an enforcement module adapted to enforce an operational state on the computing device;    a metering module adapted to monitor: (1) usage of the service; and (2) balance of a provisioning resource allowing usage of the service;    a transaction engine adapted to consume the provisioning resource and to update the provisioning resource; and    a communication module adapted to receive a provisioning packet providing the provisioning resource.    
   
   
       2 . A local provisioning system of  claim 1 , further comprising a secure storage module adapted to securely store the provisioning resource.  
   
   
       3 . A local provisioning system of  claim 2 , further comprising a user experience module adapted to communicate with a user of the computing device  
   
   
       4 . A local provisioning system of  claim 3 , wherein the provisioning resource is a software.  
   
   
       5 . A local provisioning system of  claim 4 , wherein the provisioning resource is an operating system for the computing device.  
   
   
       6 . A local provisioning system of  claim 5 , wherein the enforcement module is adapted to operate within a login logic system of the computing device.  
   
   
       7 . A local provisioning system of  claim 6 , wherein the metering module includes a balance manager to monitor usage of the provisioning resource and a reliable clock manager to monitor usage of the provisioned resource.  
   
   
       8 . A local provisioning system of  claim 7 , wherein the enforcement module is further adapted to activate the balance manager in response to a logon event.  
   
   
       9 . A local provisioning system of  claim 8 , wherein the user experience module includes: (1) an activation module adapted to receive information from the user and to activate the communication module; and (2) a notification module adapted to notify the user of a value of the provisioning resource.  
   
   
       10 . A local provisioning system of  claim 9 , wherein the communication manager includes: (1) a packet request manager adapted to request the provisioning packet from a provisioning service; (2) a certificate request manager adapted to request a certificate from the provisioning service, wherein the certificate allows the local provisioning module to decode the provisioning packet; and (3) a web communication manager adapted to communicate with the Internet.  
   
   
       11 . A local provisioning system of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 (1) the activation module is further adapted to receive a initialization key from the user and to activate the certificate request manager; and    (2) the certificate manager is further adapted to: (A) send a certificate request to the provisioning service, the certificate request including: (i) the initialization key; (ii) and a hardware identification of the computing device; (B) receive a certificate from the provisioning service; and (C) send an certificate receipt acknowledgement to the provisioning service.    
   
   
       12 . A local provisioning system of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 (1) the purchase notification module is further adapted to: (a) receive a payment information from the user of the computing device; (b) activate the purchase manager in response to receiving the payment information;    (2) the purchase manager is further adapted to: (a) send the payment information to a billing system; (b) receive a payment authorization from the billing system; and (c) activate the packet request manager in response to receiving the payment authorization; and    (3) the packet request manager is further adapted to: (a) send a packet request to the provisioning service, wherein the packet request includes: (i) the hardware identification of the computing device; (ii) the initialization key; and (iii) the certificate; (b) receive a new provisioning packet from the provisioning service; and (c) send an packet receipt acknowledgement to the provisioning service.    
   
   
       13 . A local provisioning system of  claim 12 , wherein the transaction engine is further adapted to: (a) consume the new provisioning packet; and (b) to update the provisioning resource balance.  
   
   
       14 . A local provisioning system of  claim 13 , wherein the secure storage manager is further adapted to store multiple copies of: (1) the certificate; (2) the provisioning resource balance; and (3) the initialization key on at least one of: (a) a secured hardware storage; (b) a secured file system; and (c) a secured local storage authority database.  
   
   
       15 . A local provisioning system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the enforcement module, the metering module, and the transaction engine are implemented on hardware.  
   
   
       16 . A local provisioning system of  claim 13 , wherein the user experience module is further adapted to show the provisioning resource balance as at least one of: (1) a taskbar icon; (2) a control panel applet; and (3) a balloon pop-up; on a display of the computing device.  
   
   
       17 . A local provisioning system of  claim 13 , wherein the computing device is at least one of: (1) a computer; (2) a personal data assistant; (3) a cell-phone; (4) a gaming devic; and (5) an entertainment device.  
   
   
       18 . A system for provisioning a provisioned service on the computing device, the system comprising: 
 a server hosting a provisioning system;    a communication device adapted to connect the computing device to the provisioning system;    a packet request manager adapted to download a provisioning packet from the provisioning system, wherein the provisioning packet contains information authorizing usage of the provisioned service for a first period of time;    a balance manager adapted to analyze the content of the provisioning packet to determine a provisioning balance value; and    an enforcement module adapted to activate the provisioned service if the provisioning balance value is above a threshold.    
   
   
       19 . A system of  claim 18 , further comprising a secure storage module adapted to securely store the provisioning packet.  
   
   
       20 . A system of  claim 18 , further comprising a user experience module adapted to communicate with a user of the computing device.  
   
   
       21 . A system of  claim 18 , wherein the provisioned service is a software.  
   
   
       22 . A system of  claim 18 , wherein the provisioned service is an operating system for the computing device.  
   
   
       23 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising: 
 (a) connecting user of a provisioned service to a provisioning system;    (b) downloading a provision packet from the provisioning system, wherein the provision packet contains information authorizing use of the provisioned service for a first period of time;    (c) analyzing the content of the provision packet to determine a provisioning value;    (d) activating the provisioned service if the provisioning value is above a threshold; and    (e) deactivating the provisioned service if the provisioning value is not above the threshold.    
   
   
       24 . A computer-readable medium of  claim 23  having computer-executable instructions for performing the method further comprising: 
 (a) connecting the user to a billing system if the provisioning value is not above the threshold; and    (b) providing a first graphical user interface to the user to purchase use of the provisioned service for an additional period of time.    
   
   
       25 . A computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the provisioned service is operating a personal computer of the user.  
   
   
       26 . A computer-readable medium of  claim 23  having computer-executable modules comprising: 
 a billing module adapted to sell a computer service to a user;    a core provisioning module adapted to receive a request from the billing apparatus for generating a provisioning packet authorizing use of the provisioned service by the user;    a packet distribution module adapted to receive a request for the provisioning packet and to transmit the provisioning packet in response to the request; and    a local provisioning module adapted to request the provisioning packet from the packet distribution apparatus, to determine value of the provisioning packet and to allow a user to use the computer service based on the value of the provisioning packet.    
   
   
       27 . A method of provisioning a provisioned service on a computing device, the method comprising: 
 (a) connecting the computing device to a provisioning system;    (b) downloading a provisioning packet from the provisioning system, wherein the provisioning packet contains information authorizing usage of the computing service for a first period of time;    (c) analyzing the content of the provisioning packet to determine a provisioning balance value; and    (d) activating the provisioned service if the provisioning balance value is above a threshold.    
   
   
       28 . A method of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 (a) adjusting provisioning balance to reflect usage of the provisioned service;    (b) evaluating the adjusted provisioning balance; and    (c) deactivating the provisioned service if the adjusted provisioning value is below the threshold.    
   
   
       29 . A method of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 (a) adjusting provisioning balance to reflect usage of the provisioned service;    (b) evaluating the adjusted provisioning balance;    (c) if the adjusted provisioning value is below the threshold: 
 (1) providing a purchase tool to allow a purchase of additional usage of the provisioned service;  
 (2) receiving a payment from the user for additional usage of the provisioned service;  
 (3) transmitting the payment to the provisioning system to get an additional provisioning packets;  
 (4) analyzing the content of the additional provisioning packet to determine an additional provisioning balance value; and  
 (5) increasing the adjusted provisioning balance to reflect the additional provisioning balance.  
   
   
   
       30 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the provisioned service is an operating system for a personal computer  
   
   
       31 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the provisioned service is a software for use by one of a (1) personal computer, (2) a personal data assistant, (3) a cell-phone, (4) a gaming device and (5) an entertainment device.  
   
   
       32 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the provisioning packet includes information identifying the first device.  
   
   
       33 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the provisioning packet is encoded using a first key that cannot be decoded by any device other than the computing device.  
   
   
       34 . A method of  claim 27 , wherein the provisioning packet is encoded in a manner so that only a device having a first certificate can decode the provisioning packet.